Panthers get a change of scenery

[Rod Butsecks]

(By Charles Chandler, [email protected]) p/Charlotte-based Panthers fans who want to save the gas money of driving to Spartanburg can watch the team today at Bank of America Stadium./pp/The Panthers hold their annual FanFest scrimmage starting at 11 a.m. Gates open at 9:30./pp/The practice opens with stretching, seven-on-seven drills and special-teams work before the first extended live scrimmage of camp starts at around 11:30a.m./pp/Carolina Panthers coach strongJohn /strongstrongFox /strongsaid he expects to run 36 plays with full contact, with only quarterbacks exempted from being hit or tackled./pp/The first-team offense will face the second-team defense, the No.2 offense will go against the starting defense, with the third-stringers and other reserves squaring off against one another./pp/It's not a big event for veterans, but it has special meaning to rookies./pp/ldquo;A lot of these guys haven't practiced in that stadium or been in that stadium,rdquo; said Fox. ldquo;I think it's exciting for them. /pp/ldquo;It really just kind of a taste of live football hellip; their first little taste of tackle-to-the-ground football.rdquo;/pspan class=subheadstrongp/Long-snapper Sundberg cut/p/strong/spanp/The anticipated competition for the long-snapping job between strongJ.J. Jansen /strongand strongNick Sundberg /strongended much sooner than expected Friday when the Panthers released Sundberg./pp/The move paralleled Carolina's signing of linebacker strongKelvin Smith/strong, a 2007 seventh-round pick by Miami who played four games for the Dolphins in '07 and spent last season on injured reserve with a knee injury. He was signed and released by the New York Giants this offseason./pp/Smith's arrival gives the Panthers a needed practice participant with linebackers strongJon Beason /strong(hamstring) and strongThomas Davis /strong(knee) sitting out of drills the past few days./pp/The long-snapping job now appears to be Jansen's to win, though it's still possible a veteran candidate could be signed later./pspan class=subheadstrongp/RB Williams lsquo;tweaks' toe/p/strong/spanp/Running back strongDeAngelo Williams /strongldquo;tweakedrdquo; his toe in the morning's practice, Fox said./pp/After carrying the ball on a running play, Williams went to the sidelines and appeared to be in pain. He was taken to a tent and examined by trainer strongRyan Vermillion/strong, but later was able to jog back onto the field for the team huddle with Fox at the end of practice./pp/Williams later said ldquo;It's nothing major.rdquo;/pp/As a precaution, Williams was held out of the evening practice./pp/span class=icon icon-bullet/spanRunning back strongJonathan Stewart /strongand receiver strongMuhsin Muhammad /strongalso sat out the night practice, for rest./pspan class=subheadstrongp/Hold on to that ball/p/strong/spanp/Rookie running back strongMike Goodson/strong, a fourth-round pick who could factor into the Panthers' plans as a third-down back and slot receiver, is getting plenty of coaching about ball protection./pp/Fox told Goodson on the sidelines to be aware that that NFL defenders will aggressively try to strip the ball from him ldquo;in the worst way.rdquo;/pp/Goodson said Fox frequently reminds him: ldquo;This is the big leagues.rdquo;/pspan class=subheadstrongp/Other injuries/p/strong/spanp/In addition to Beason and strongThomas Davis/strong, guard strongC.J. Davis /strong(ankle) sat out practice./pp//p

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I should read this post to the tune of One Week by Bare Naked Ladies